Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has signed a decree to withdraw the country from an international agreement prohibiting the use of anti-personnel mines.

The Ottawa Convention of 1997 prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines, arguing they pose excessive danger to civilians after conflicts end. Around 160 countries, including Ukraine, had agreed to the treaty; the U.S. never did.

Zelenskyy stated that Russia has never been a party to the convention and uses anti-personnel mines in an extremely cynical manner, not only in the war against Ukraine, adding that destroying life by any means available is the signature style of Russian killers.

However, Zelenskyy’s announcement requires approval from Ukraine’s parliament before formally withdrawing from the treaty.

Ukraine has suffered significantly from Russia’s use of anti-personnel landmines, with liberated regions strewn with the devices, causing injuries to civilians and soldiers.

News of Ukraine’s potential withdrawal comes after Moscow launched 537 aerial weapons toward Ukraine, including 477 drones and decoys and 60 missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force, in what they described as the largest aerial attack of the war so far.

Of those weapons, 249 were shot down, and 226 were likely electronically jammed.

Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for Ukraine’s air force, told the Associated Press that the attack was “the most massive airstrike” against Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, considering both drones and missiles.

Several regions, including western Ukraine far from the front lines, were targeted.

Poland and allied nations deployed aircraft to safeguard Polish airspace, according to Poland’s air force.

One person was killed in the Kherson region, according to Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin, while another died in the Kharkiv region when a drone struck a car, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov reported. Six people were wounded in Cherkasy, including a child, according to regional Gov. Ihor Taburets.

Ukraine’s air force reported that one of its Western-supplied F-16 warplanes crashed after being damaged while intercepting air targets, resulting in the pilot’s death.

Landon Mion contributed to this report

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